384 THE STORY-BOOK OF SCIENCE 



plied with the materials for making wax rubs itself 

 and extracts a sheet of wax from the folds of its 

 rings. With the little layer of wax between its teeth, 

 that is to say between its two mandibles, it squeezes 

 through the press of its comrades. 'Let me pass,' 

 it seems to say; 'see, I have something to work with.' 

 The crowd makes way. The bee takes its place in 

 the middle of the workyard. The wax is kneaded 

 between its mandibles, pounded to pieces, then flat- 

 tened out into a ribbon, pounded again, and once 

 more kneaded into a compact mass. At the same 

 time it is impregnated with a kind of saliva that 

 gives it flexibility. When the material is at the 

 proper stage, the bee applies it bit by bit. To cut 

 off the surplus, the mandibles serve as scissors ; the 

 antennae, in continual motion, serve it as probe and 

 measuring-compasses; they feel the wall of wax to 

 judge of its thickness ; they plunge into the cavity to 

 find out its depth. What exquisite touch in this pair 

 of living compasses, to bring to successful comple- 

 tion a construction so delicate and regular! More- 

 over, if the worker is a novice, master-bees are there 

 to watch it with an experienced eye, to seize on the 

 slightest fault at once and hasten to remedy it. The 

 maladroit worker modestly steps aside and watches 

 in order to learn. The trick learned, it sets to work 

 again. With thousands of wax-bees working to- 

 gether, a comb two or three decimeters wide is often 

 a day's work." 



"You told us," said Claire, "that the cells are es- 

 pecially remarkable for their geometrical arrange- 

 ment." 



